Osiris | Ancient Egypt Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia in Hieroglyphs Osiris (Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Wesir, or Ausare) is the Egyptian god of life, death, and fertility. At the height of the ancient Nile civilization, Osiris was regarded as the primary deity of a henotheism. Osiris was not only the merciful judge of the dead in the afterlife, but also the underworld agency that granted all life, including sprouting vegetation and the fertile flooding of the Nile River. Beginning at about 2000 B.C. all men, not just dead pharaohs, were believed to be associated with Osiris at death. The origin of Osiris's name is a mystery, which forms an obstacle to knowing the pronunciation of its hieroglyphic form. The majority of current thinking is that the Egyptian name is pronounced aser where the a is the letter ayin (i.e. a short 'a' pronounced from the back of the throat as if swallowing).

Contents [ show ] Origin of name The name was first recorded in Egyptian hieroglyphs only as ws-ir or os-ir because the Egyptian writing system omitted vowels. It is reconstructed to have been pronounced Us-iri (oos-ee-ree) meaning 'Throne of the Eye' and survives into the Coptic language as Ousire. Early mythology Father of Anubis Earlier, when the Ennead and Ogdoad cosmogenies became merged, with the identification of Ra as Atum (Atum-Ra), gradually Anubis , the god of the underworld in the Ogdoad system, was replaced by Osiris, whose cult had become more significant. In order to explain this, Anubis was said to have given way to Osiris out of respect, and, as an underworld deity, was subsequently identified as being Osiris' son. Abydos , which had been a strong centre of the cult of Anubis, became a centre of the cult of Osiris.

However, as Isis , Osiris' wife, represented life, in the Ennead, it was considered somewhat inappropriate for her to be the mother of a god associated with death, and so instead, it was usually said that Nephthys , the other of the two female children of Geb and Nut, was his mother. To explain the apparent infidelity of Osiris, it was said that a sexually frustrated Nephthys had disguised herself as Isis to get more attention from her husband, Set , but did not succeed, although Osiris then mistook her for Isis, and they procreated, resulting in Anubis' birth. Father of Horus Later, when Hathor 's identity (from the Ogdoad) was assimilated into that of Isis, Osiris, who had been Isis' husband (in the Ogdoad), became considered her son, and thus, since Osiris was Isis' husband (in the Ennead), Osiris also became considered Horus ' father. Attempts to explain how Osiris, a god of the dead, could give rise to someone so definitely alive as Horus, lead to the development of the Legend of Osiris and Isis , which became the greatest myth in Egyptian mythology.

The myth described Osiris as having been killed by his brother Seth who wanted Osiris' throne. Osiris was subsequently resurrected by Anubis. Osiris and Isis gave birth to Horus. As such, since Horus was born after Osiris' resurrection, Horus became thought of as representing new beginnings. This combination, Osiris-Horus, was therefore a life-death-rebirth deity, and thus associated with the new harvest each year. Ptah-Seker (who resulted from the identification of Ptah as Sokar ), who was god of re-incarnation, thus gradually became identified with Osiris, the two becoming Ptah-Seker-Osiris (rarely known as Ptah-Seker-Atum, although this was just the name, and involved Osiris rather than Atum). As the sun was thought to spend the night in the underworld, and subsequently be re-incarnated, as both king of the underworld, and god of reincarnation, Ptah-Seker-Osiris was identified as the sun during the night.

Ram god in Hieroglyphs Since Osiris was considered dead, as God of the Dead, Osiris' soul, or rather his Ba , was occasionally worshipped in its own right, almost as if it were a distinct god, especially so in the Delta city of Mendes . This aspect of Osiris was referred to as Banebdjed (also spelt Banebded or Banebdjedet, which is technically feminine) which literally means The ba of the lord of the djed , which roughly means The soul of the lord of the pillar of stability. The djed, a type of pillar, was usually understood as the backbone of Osiris, since the Egyptians had associated death, and the dead, as symbolic of stability. As Banebdjed, Osiris was given epithets such as Lord of the Sky and Life of the (sun god) Ra , since Ra, when he had become identified with Atum , was considered Osiris' ancestor, from whom his regal authority was inherited. Ba does not, however, quite mean soul in the western sense, and also has a lot to do with power, reputation, force of character, especially in the case of a god.

Since the ba was associated with power, and also happened to be a word for ram in Egyptian, Banebdjed was depicted as a ram, or as Ram-headed. A living, sacred ram, was even kept at Mendes and worshipped as the incarnation of the god, and upon death, the rams were mummified and buried in a ram-specific necropolis. In Mendes, they had considered Hatmehit , a local fish-goddess, as the most important god/goddess, and so when the cult of Osiris became more significant, Banebdjed was identified in Mendes as deriving his authority from being married to Hatmehit. Later, when Horus became identified as the child of Osiris (in this form Horus is known as Harpocrates in greek and Har-pa-khered in Egyptian), Banebdjed was consequently said to be Horus' father, as Banebdjed is an aspect of Osiris. In occult writings, Banebdjed is often called the goat of Mendes, and identified with Baphomet ; the fact that Banebdjed was a ram (sheep), not a goat, is apparently overlooked.

Mystery religion The Cult of Osiris The cult of Osiris had a particularly strong interest towards the concept of immortality. According to the myth surrounding the cult, Set (Osiris's evil brother) fooled Osiris into getting into a coffin, which he then shut, had sealed with lead and threw into the Nile. Osiris's wife, Isis, searched for his remains until she finally found him embedded in a tree trunk, which was holding up the roof of a palace. She managed to remove the coffin and open it, but Osiris was alreddy dead. She used a spell she had learned from her father and brought him back to life so he could impregnate her. After they finished, he died again, so she hid his body in the desert. Months later, she gave birth to Horus . While she was off raising him, Set had been out hunting one night and he came across the body of Osiris. Enraged, he tore the body into 14 pieces and again threw them into the Nile. Isis gathered up all the parts of the body and bandaged them together for a proper burial.

The Gods were impressed by the devotion of Isis and thus restored Osiris to life in the form of a different kind of existence as the god of the underworld. Because of his death and resurrection, Osiris is associated with the flooding and retreating of the Nile and thus with the crops along the Nile valley. The passion and resurrection Plutarch and others have noted that the sacrifices to Osiris were “gloomy, solemn, and mournful…” (Isis and Osiris, 69) and that the great mystery festival, celebrated in two phases, began at Abydos on the 17th of Athyr (Nov. 13th) commemorating the death of the god, which is also the same day that grain was planted in the ground. “The death of the grain and the death of the god were one and the same: the cereal was identified with the god who came from heaven; he was the bread by which man lives.

The resurrection of the god symbolized the rebirth of the grain.” (Larson 17) The first phase of the festival was a public drama depicting the murder and dismemberment of Osiris, the search for his body by Isis, his triumphal return as the resurrected god, and the battle in which Horus defeated Set. This was all presented by skilled actors as a literary history, and was the main method of recruiting cult membership. According to Julius Firmicus Maternus of the fourth century, this play was re-enacted each year by worshippers who “beat their breasts and gashed their shoulders…. When they pretend that the mutilated remains of the god have been found and rejoined…they turn from mourning to rejoicing.” (De Errore Profanorum). The Passion of Osiris was re-enacted at all of his temples during his annual festivals.

On a stele at Abydos erected in the 12th Dynasty by I-Kher-Nefert, a priest of Osiris during the reign of Usertsen III (Pharaoh Sesostris, about 1875 BC) we find the principle scenes of the mystery-drama depicted (I-Kher-Nefert played Horus). In the first scene, Osiris is slain, no one knowing what happened to his body, and the onlookers weep and mourn, rend their hair and beat their breasts. Isis and Nepthys then recover the remnants and return to the temple. In the second scene, Thoth, Horus and Isis revive Osiris in the sanctuary, not witnessed by the populace. Then Osiris emerges, to much rejoicing. Horus then places Osiris in a solar boat, christened the Nefarté, to proceed directly to the eternal regions, known as the “coming forth by day” mentioned so often in the Book of the Dead. The climax of the play is the great battle between Horus and Set, described in detail by Herodotus (History II, 63).

Wheat and clay rituals Differing from the public portion above, an esoteric phase consisted of ceremonials performed inside the temples by priests witnessed only by initiates. Plutarch mentions that two days after the beginning of the festival “the priests bring forth sacred chest containing a small golden coffer, into which they pour some potable water…and a great shout arises from the company for joy that Osiris is found (or resurrected). Then they knead some fertile soil with the water…and fashion therefrom a crescent-shaped figure, which they cloth and adorn, this indicating that they regard these gods as the substance of Earth and Water.” (Isis and Osiris, 39). Yet even he was obscure, for he also wrote, “I pass over the cutting of the wood” opting to not describe it since he considered it most sacred (Ibid. 21). In the Osirian temple at Denderah, an inscription (translated by Budge, Chapter XV, Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection) describes in detail the making of wheat paste models of each dismembered piece of Osiris to be sent out to the town where each piece was discovered by Isis.

At the temple of Mendes, figures of Osiris are made from wheat and paste placed in a trough on the day of the murder, then water added for several days, when finally the mixture was kneaded into a mold of Osiris and taken to the temple and buried (the sacred grain for these cakes only grown in the temple fields). Molds are made from wood of a red tree in the forms of the sixteen dismembered parts of Osiris, cakes of divine bread made from each mold, placed in a silver chest and set near the head of the god, the inward parts of Osiris as described in the Book of the Dead (XVII). On the first day of the Festival of Ploughing, where the goddess Isis appears in her shrine where she is stripped naked, Paste made from the grain is placed in her bed and moistened with water, representing the fecund earth. All of these sacred rituals were climaxed by the eating of sacramental god, the eucharist by which the celebrants were transformed, in their persuasion, into replicas of their god-man (Larson 20).

The Osirian Sacrament Although there were ethical and ceremonial considerations none of these could compare to the power of the divine eucharist, since it was literally believed to be the body (bread) and blood (ale) of the god. Since the ancient Nilotics believed that humans were whatever they eat, this sacrament was, by extension, able to make them celestial and immortal. The doctrine of the eucharist ultimately has its roots in prehistoric cannibalism, whose practitioners understood that virtues and powers of the eaten can be thus absorbed by the eater. This phenomenon has been described throughout the world. One of the oldest of the Pyramid Texts is the Unas from the 6th Dynasty (circa 2500 BC). It shows that the original ideology of Egypt commingled with Osirian concepts. Although ultimately given a high place in heaven by order of Osiris, Unas is at first an enemy of the gods and his ancestors, who he hunts, lassoes, kills, cooks, and eats so that their powers may become his own.

This was written at a time when the eating of parents and gods was a laudable ceremony, and this emphasizes how hard it must have been to stamp out the older order of cannibalism. “He eats men, he feeds on the gods…he cooks them in his fiery cauldrons. He eats their words of power, he swallows their spirits…. He eats the wisdom of every god, his period of life is eternity…. Their soul is in his body, their spirits are within him.” A parallel passage is found in the Pyramid Text of Pepi II, who is said to have “seizeth those who are a follower of Set…he breaketh their heads, he cutteth off their haunches, he teareth out their intestines, he diggeth out their hearts, he drinketh copiously of their blood!” (line 531, ff). Although crude, this was a core concept, the conviction that one could receive immortality by eating the flesh and blood of a god who had died became a dominating obsession in the ancient world.

Although the cult of Osiris forbade cannibalism, it did not outlaw dismemberment and eating of enemies, and practiced the ritual rending and eating of the sacred bull, symbolizing Osiris. Although this sacramental concept only originated once in history, it spread throughout the Mediterranean area and became the dynamic force in every mystery cult. It was only by this sacerdotal means that the corruptible deceased could be clothed in incorruption and this idea appears again and again in infinite variety. The scribe Nebseni implores: “And there in the celestial mansions of heaven which my divine father Tem hath established, let my hands lay hold upon the wheat and the barley which shall be given unto me therein in abundant measure” (Ibid. LXXII). Nu corroborates that this is the eucharist by saying: “I am established, and the divine Sekhet-hetep is before me, I have eaten therein, I have become a spirit therein, I have abundance therein.” (Ibid. LXXVII) Again Nu states: “I am the divine soul of Ra…which is god…I am the divine food which is not corrupted” (Ibid. LXXXV).

The ancientness of the concept is again reaffirmed in the Pyramid Text of Teta (2600 BC) where the Osiris Teta “receivest thy bread which decayeth not, and thy beer which perisheth not” In the Text of Pepi I we read: “All the gods give thee their flesh and their blood…. Thou shalt not die.” In the Text of Pepi II the aspirant prays for “thy bread of eternity, and thy beer of everlastingness” (Line 390). Osiris-Dionysus By the Hellenic era, Greek awareness of Osiris had grown, and attempts had been made to merge Greek philosophy, such as Platonism, and the cult of Osiris (especially the myth of his resurrection), resulting in a new mystery religion. Gradually, this became more popular, and was exported to other parts of the Greek sphere of influence. However, these mystery religions valued the change in wisdom, personality, and knowledge of fundamental truth, rather than the exact details of the acknowledged myths on which their teachings were superimposed.

Thus in each region that it was exported to, the myth was changed to be about a similar local god, resulting in a series of gods, who had originally been quite distinct, but who were now syncretisms with Osiris. These gods became known as Osiris-Dionysus. Serapis Eventually, in Egypt, the Hellenic pharaohs decided to produce a deity that would be acceptable to both the local Egyptian population, and the influx of Hellenic visitors, to bring the two groups together, rather than allow a source of rebellion to grow. Thus Osiris was identified explicitly with Apis , really an aspect of Ptah , who had already been identified as Osiris by this point, and a syncretism of the two was created, known as Serapis, and depicted as a standard Greek god. Destruction Osiris-worship continued up until the 6th century AD on the island of Philae in Upper Nile. The Theodosian decree (in about 380 AD) to destroy all pagan temples and force worshippers to accept Christianity was ignored there.

However, Justinian dispatched a General Narses to Philae, who destroyed the Osirian temples and sanctuaries, threw the priests into prison, and carted the sacred images off to Constantinople. However, by that time, the soteriology of Osiris had assumed various forms which had long spread far and wide in the ancient world. NOT TRUE Osiris in popular culture Albert Pike (the grand commander of Freemasonry) worshipped Osiris and he proudly made that known in his book, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.[ citation needed ] In Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, the priests in the Temple of Wisdom worship Osiris and Isis. The chief priest, Sarastro, sings an aria beginning "O Isis und Osiris". [ citation needed ] Osiris is a deity used more than once in the hit television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the show, Osiris is described as the "keeper of the gate, master of all fate" and is used in resurrection rituals.

He is also unique as he is seen in one episode, communicating with Willow Rosenberg as she tries to resurrect her dead lover, Tara Maclay; although names of deities are often given in spells on the show, most of the time the deity is not seen.[ citation needed ] Saint Dragon - The God of Osiris is one of the Three Divine Beasts, or God Cards, from the manga Yu-Gi-Oh! and its animated adaptation, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters.[ citation needed ] In the show Futurama the three main characters Fry, Leela and Bender visit an Egypt-themed planet named Osiris IV.[ citation needed ] In the Animatrix, the Osiris is the name of the ship that is sacrificed to make sure Zion Zion gets the information that the machines are coming.[ citation needed ] Osiris Shoes is a manufacturer of Skate shoes.[ citation needed ] Osiris Host Integrity Monitoring software moniters the integrity of computer systems, usually for malicious tampering.[ citation needed ] In the television series Stargate SG-1, Osiris and other gods are represented as Goa'uld pretending to be gods, whereas in Egyptian culture, most of them were told to be good and beneficial, in some way, to life.

Osiris is unique among the villains in that he has a male personality, but a female host body. In Joss Whedon's Firefly (TV series), Osiris is the name of the Core planet River and Simon Tam are originally from.[ citation needed ] In the movie Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hedwig's song "Origin of Love" mentions Osiris. In The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, the legend of Osiris being cut up by his brother, Set, is discussed. As the one part of Osiris unable to be found by Isis was his genitals and because he is the god of the underworld, Lestat believes him to be a vampire god, as vampires are unable to copulate. In Vampire: The Masquerade, Osiris was a powerful vampire, either an antedeluvian or methuselah who fought against the Antedeluvian Set. He was the founder of the vampire bloodline known as the Serpents of the Light. The Wu-Tang Clan's (now deceased) member, Ol' Dirty Bastard, went by the alias, Osirus.

Fans would know this as he would sometimes shout on a song, "I'm the Osirus of this shit!!" Osiris was the name of a now defunct rock/alternative band formed in 1994 in Wheelersburg, Ohio. Osiris is the name of a large Order battleship in Microsoft's Freelancer videogame.[ citation needed ] On Adult Swim's The Venture Bros., an episode (Escape to the House of Mummies Part II) mostly takes place in Egypt centering around an evil cult wanting the Hand of Osiris.[ citation needed ] Appears as a boss monster in the MMORPG Ragnarok Online where Osiris attacks adventurers. He can be found within the highest level of the Pyramid map and resurrects an hour after being destroyed. In the Doctor Who episode "Pyramids of Mars" the Osirans were a long lived and extremely powerful race of beings possessed of enormous psionic might and great technical sophistication. One of their number, Sutekh, ravaged planets across the galaxy until the rest of them ran him to ground and imprisoned him on Earth. Their presence here is implied to be the source of Egyption worship. Osiris is also the name of a stem-cell therapy research organization.

In Tad Williams's Otherland series, the villain Felix Jongleur frequently takes the form of Osiris inside his virtual reality simulation of ancient Egypt. In a 1984 song called Powerslave by Iron Maiden a mention of Osiris is made. In the game Age of Mythology Osiris is a selectable god by the Egyptians. The boss at the end of an Egyptian themed dungeon in world of warcraft is named Osirian and has the features of a hawk. OSIRIS - the Egyptian God of the Underworld (Egyptian mythology) OSIRIS Also known as NED-ER-TCHER, USIRE Mr Big of the Egyptian Underworld He’s not a gangster as such but is definitely in charge of the Dead End scenario. Married to the beautiful ISIS , he was quite content to rule Vegetation and Fertility until he was knocked off by his evil brother SET , who locked his body in a chest and chucked it into the Nile. But nothing’s ever that simple when it comes to the Gods, and the chest was washed up on the shore, stuck in a giant tree, turned into a pillar and relocated to the palace of King Byblos where ISIS , having searched high and low, eventually found it.

Cursing his luck, wicked SET chopped the body into a zillion pieces and scattered them all over Egypt. So poor ISIS had to search all over again, collecting bits and pieces of her dead husband until she had every last scrap. Then RA took pity on her and sent THOTH and ANUBIS to help put the jigsaw puzzle back together. Luckily there were no pieces missing. Except one. Sometimes small details get overlooked, but they can be of prime importance. SET in his savage spite ensured there was one piece missing when ISIS came to reconstruct OSIRIS. He had thrown the Schlong Of OSIRIS into the Nile, where it had been swallowed by a fish. But ISIS , summoning all her Godly Reconstruction powers, which were by now formidable, managed to fashion another one. It was made out of gold — and fully functional. (Do not attempt this at home — battery-operated devices will not suffice.) The reconstructed OSIRIS was mummified for burial; and he looked so fine in his shiny wrappings that ISIS couldn’t resist one last fling. As luck would have it, her charms breathed new life into him and she became pregnant with HORUS .

Meanwhile, thanks to his Underworld connections, the resurrected OSIRIS was promoted to Judge of the Dead alongside MAAT and THOTH . Consequently he now has little time for being non-judgmental. OSIRIS also found a new lease of life as part of the SERAPIS Project, a collaborative religious venture between the Greeks and Egyptians... OSIRIS FACTS AND FIGURES Cite this Link to this page HTML: To link to this page, just copy and paste the text below into your blog, web page or email. <a href="">Godchecker entry on OSIRIS, the Egyptian God of the Underworld</a> BBCODE: To link to this page in a forum post or comment box, just copy and paste the text below: [url= entry on OSIRIS, the Egyptian God of the Underworld[/url] Cite this article Here's the info you need to cite this page. Just copy the text in the box below. Saunders, Chas, and Peter J. Allen, eds. "OSIRIS - the Egyptian God of the Underworld (Egyptian mythology)." <em>Godchecker</em>. Godchecker.com / CID, 25 Mar. 2013.

Web. 20 January 2017. . 25 March 2013 by the Godchecker Team. Editors: Peter J Allen, Chas Saunders References: Coming soon. Gods and Godesses A mummified man wearing a white cone-like headdress with feathers Osiris was the god of the dead, and ruler of the underworld . Osiris was the brother/husband of Isis, and the brother of Nepthys and Seth. He was also the father of Horus. Osiris As well as being a god of the dead, Osiris was a god of resurrection and fertility. In fact, the ancient Egyptians believed that Osiris gave them the gift of barley, one of their most important crops. A large temple was built to honour Osiris at Abydos . Osiris | Egyptian God of the Underworld Abydos Osiris - Egyptian God of the Underworld Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld, appears to have been a strong element in Egyptian mythology from the beginning. Before he became the Egyptian god of the underworld, Osiris had quite a history. Who Was Osiris? © Jan - Statue of Osiris Osiris was the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, the underworld, and the afterlife.

He is usually depicted as a man with green skin and a beard associated with the pharaoh, wearing a crown with two large ostrich feathers, and legs partially wrapped like a mummy. In his hands he holds a flail and a symbolic crook. His Names Osiris is a Latin word. In Egyptian hieroglyphs the traditional rendering of the name is Wsjr. Some Egyptologists refer to the deity as Aser, Ausar, Asar, Asari, Ausir, Ausare, Usire, Usir, Wser, or Wesir. The English translation of the name is Almighty or The Powerful. This is how he was perceived among the ancient Egyptians and his name was celebrated with much prayer and ritual activity for thousands of years. He was also worshiped as the shepherd god. Archaeologists point to him being pictured with the shepherd's crook as evidence of this designation. Titles of Osiris His name appears during Egypt's Fifth Dynasty, although he is said to have been worshiped since the First Dynasty. He is also mentioned in later Egyptian documents, including the Contending of Horus and Seth, the Shabaka Stone and the writings of ancient Greek authors. Osiris was given many titles.

He is sometimes referred to as "King of the Living" and "Foremost of the Westerners". Both of those titles were given to him because of his being the ruler of the dead, whom the ancient Egyptians called Westerners or The Living Ones. Considered to be a merciful judge of people in the afterlife, Osiris is also credited with the fertile flooding of the Nile, the sprouting of vegetation, and the granting of all life. Some of his other titles and attributes include the Lord of Silence, the Lord of Love and He Who is Permanently Benign and Youthful. ©GoShows - Osiris (right, seated) at the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony © Peter Roan - Osiris (Centre), Reliefs His Appearance Ancient paintings of Osiris often have him colored green or black. Green is said to be the color ancient Egyptians associated with rebirth. Black was the color associated with fertility: it was the color of the rich, fertile soil which stretched over the plains each year, when the River Nile overflowed, and played a huge role in Egypt's prosperity. In some rare instances, Osiris was depicted wearing a crown that included a rendering of the moon.

This has led some researchers to surmise he was associated with the moon or the night. History of Osiris © Xenocryst - Osiris Statuette Osiris is told to have been one of five children born to the god of the earth and the goddess of the skies, Geb and Nut respectively. Through this family tree he was also a great-grandson of one of the most popular Egyptian gods, Ra . Osiris had four younger siblings who would also play critical roles in his story: his brother Seth and two sisters known as Isis and Nephthys. As the firstborn child and son of Geb and Nut, it fell to Osiris to inherit the throne of Egypt. Seth married Nephthys and Osiris married Isis. Together, Isis and Osiris seemed to have possession of numerous powers. Their marriage was not destined to be happy, however. At one point, Nephthys appears to have magically taken on the appearance of Isis and presented herself to Osiris as his wife. Not knowing the difference, Osiris was seduced by Nephthys and she became pregnant and gave birth to Anubis .

Later, Seth developed a vendetta against his extremely popular sibling, possibly either because Osiris had inherited the throne or because he had gotten Seth's wife pregnant. At any rate, Seth sought to kill him by luring him into a coffin and drowning him in the Nile . The annual flooding of the Nile River is still thought to be representative of this event. Isis managed to recover her husband's body; however Seth was very stealthy and stole away with it. After cutting up the body of the Egyptian god of the underworld, Seth hid the pieces throughout the Egyptian desert. The connection between Isis and Osiris was so strong that the Egyptian goddess proceeded to spend a number of years searching for the mutilated body parts of her husband. She finally managed to find all of the pieces save one, and is believed to have used her magical powers to restore her husband's body. Although there are different versions to this part of the story, it seems Isis became pregnant, presumably by Osiris and gave birth to a son, Horus . Osiris died once again and descended to fully assume his duties as Egyptian god of the underworld.

© Jan - Osiris (center) with Isis and Horus Some versions of the history of Osiris state that when he descended into the underworld he took over several important roles and duties as Egyptian god of the underworld from Anubis, who was believed to have been his son. Other tales contend that he rightfully obtained the important role as Egyptian god of the underworld because he was the first god to have died. However he obtained the role, it became Osiris' responsibility to judge the souls of the dead. Fertility, Resurrection, and Everlasting Life It is said the dead kings of Egypt would rise with Osiris and inherit eternal life. By Egypt's New Kingdom it was said not only would the dead kings rise from the dead with him, but any Egyptian that performed the appropriate rituals would also. This belief that Osiris is responsible for new life after death caused him to be associated with the New Year and the cycles of nature. His worship continued to be popular until the rise of Christianity. At that time the Romans began to suppress the Egyptian religion and actively promote Christianity. Even in the face of active Roman suppression of the Egyptian religion, many people, Egyptians and others, continued to revere, sacrifice to, and worship him secretly for hundreds of years.

The Significance of the Resurrection To the ancient Egyptians, Osiris' resurrection after being slain by his evil brother Set represents the new beginning for good after it has defeated evil. To them, the tale was symbolized by the sun going into the world of the dead each night and being reborn with each new day. As such, he came to be identified as the Creator god who is king of the underworld and the afterlife and who controls life, death, rebirth, and resurrection. A pillar of continuity, representing the phallus created by Isis, became a symbol of the Ba or power of Osiris and was used in his worship. A Familiar Story It's not surprising if the story of Osiris sounds familiar. Many of the elements of his story are similar to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Where their stories are very different is what is said to happen to people after they die. Ancient Egyptians believed the deities Anubis, Ammut, Henefer, Ma'at , Osiris and Thoth would greet the person in the afterlife and perform the weighing of the heart ceremony. The person's heart was weighed against the feather of Ma'at.

If it was lighter than the feather they had lived a good, truthful life and would spend eternity in the kingdom of Osiris. ©GoShows - Osiris (right, seated) at the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony Worship In ancient Egypt, worship of Osiris was an important part of their everyday life. The story of his death at the hands of Seth and his 72 accomplices was retold each year as part of their worship. It was a story of regeneration and rebirth they saw play out each year with the cycle of the flooding of the Nile. Egypt was a very fertile place, one of the breadbaskets of the Old World. The ancient Egyptians attributed much of this to Osiris and they held many ceremonies to give praise to his name, actions, and attributes. Seen as the first king of Egypt, his symbols, the flail and the shepherd's staff, became important symbols of the pharaohs that came after him. His reign was viewed as the ideal which succeeding Egyptian rulers attempted to emulate. To his followers, he represented a time of peace, unity, and fertility.

Osiris was the good shepherd who was loved by his people and it was felt that paying homage and venerating him would help Egypt and Egyptians to be successful. It was believed worshiping him would forever ensure fertility, prosperity and plentiful crops on the banks of the Nile. © Jan - Royal butler Paatenemheb and his wife Tipuy worshiping Osiris Celebrations The celebrations dedicated to Osiris, including the Great Mystery Festival and a 5 day religious ritual, were held each spring. They included plays, story telling, religious services, feasting, and fun. Some of the celebrations commemorated his life by planting grain moistened with water from the Nile in gardens in the shape of Osiris. The grain's subsequent germination and growth symbolized his death and resurrection. Egyptians believed the sprouting grain symbolized his unwavering vitality and strength. The people praised Osiris as 'The one who came from heaven and was the bread which sustained the lives of mankind'. He was called 'The one who continues to be perfect'. These celebrations were held in the last month of the inundation of the Nile. Osiris Facts Osiris was one of Egypt's most important deities.

His exact origin is obscure, but he was known to have been a local god in Busiris, a city in Lower Egypt. He was worshiped in the temple at Abydos. He was later worshiped as the Hellenistic god Serapis. Greco-Roman writers associated him with Dionysus. Many modern people mistakenly refer to the Eye of Horus as the Eye of Osiris. Recently a 3,200 year old replica of the tomb of Osiris was discovered in in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna on Thebes' West bank. Osiris - Egyptian Mythology - Ancinet-Mythology.com Osiris | Egyptian Mythology Osiris was the god of the underworld and the ruler of predynastic Egypt. The son of Geb and Nut . Osiris also had a brother. Set , and a sister Isis (who he married). Unlike his evil brother, Osiris was benevolent towards humanity, teaching people the ways of agriculture and aiding the founding of Egyptian civilization. According to one popular myth, the jealous Set killed Osiris and divided his body into fourteen pieces which he scattered across Egypt. Isis eventually found all the pieces.

According to one version of the myth, Isis merely buried all the pieces where she found them, but another myth tells that she brought the pieces back together and revived Osisris. Osiris also had a son, Horus , who killed Set and took his rightful place as ruler of Egypt, while Osiris took place as ruler of the underworld. The Gods of Ancient Egypt -- Osiris Contact Us About us Tour Egypt aims to offer the ultimate Egyptian adventure and intimate knowledge about the country. We offer this unique experience in two ways, the first one is by organizing a tour and coming to Egypt for a visit, whether alone or in a group, and living it firsthand. The second way to experience Egypt is from the comfort of your own home: online. The Gods of Ancient Egypt -- Osiris Osiris Other Names: Oser, Aser, Asar, Usire Patron of: the Underworld, the dead, past Pharaohs, agriculture (old form), fertility (old form). Appearance: In his original form, a green-skinned man dressed in the raiment of a pharaoh. Following the Legend of Osiris , he appears as a green-skinned man in the form of a mummified pharaoh.

He is often depicted wearing the atef crown with a pair of ram horns at its base. Description: Throughout the height of Egyptian civilization, Osiris was the primary deity. In power, he was second only his father, Ra , and was the leader of the gods on earth. He was the husband of Isis and the father of Horus (and a number of other gods in some stories). Osiris resided in the underworld as the lord of the dead, as after being killed by Set , even though he was a god, he could no longer dwell in the land of the living. After Osiris was killed, Isis resurrected him with the Ritual of Life, which was later given to the Egyptians so that they could give eternal life to all their dead. The spells and rituals cast by Isis, plus many others given to the people by the gods over the centuries, were collected into The Book of Going Forth by Day, colloquially known as The Book of the Dead . In the underworld, Osiris sits on a great throne, where he is praised by the souls of the just.

All those who pass the tests of the underworld become worthy to enter The Blessed Land, that part of the underworld that is like the land of the living, but without sorrow or pain. In some texts, in addition to the Judging of the Heart , Osiris passes final judgment over the dead, acting in this capacity as an Egyptian version of Radamanthus. There is an interesting parallel between Osiris, a fertility/agriculture god, and the Greek Persephone, an agriculture goddess. Both end up in the underworld through treachery and both are kept there by "legal loopholes" in the laws of the gods. Persephone remains in the underworld for half a year because she tasted the food of the dead. Osiris remains in the underworld because Ma'at dictates that the dead, even dead gods, may not return to the land of the living. Worship: Worshipped widely throughout all of Egypt, and his cult center was Abydos . Variants: Ptah-Seker-Osiris A composite funerary god worshipped during the Middle Kingdom period. In this form he represents the three aspects of the universe: creation, stability, and death.

See Also: Osiris Encyclopedia > Philosophy and Religion > Ancient Religions > Ancient Religion Osiris Osiris (ōsĪˈrĭs) [ key ], in Egyptian religion , legendary ruler of predynastic Egypt and god of the underworld. He was the son of the sky goddess Nut and the earth god Geb. The great benefactor of mankind, Osiris brought to the people knowledge of agriculture and civilization. In a famous myth he was treacherously slain by his evil brother Set, who cut his body into 14 pieces and spread the fragments throughout Egypt. Thereupon, Isis, sister and wife of Osiris, sought and found his scattered body. She buried the pieces, making each burial place a sacred spot. According to another legend Isis did not bury Osiris, but collected the pieces of her dead husband and miraculously brought him back to life. Osiris' son Horus later killed Set and became the new king of Egypt, while Osiris became ruler and judge of the underworld. The worship of Osiris, like that of the sun god Ra, was one of the great cults of ancient Egypt.

It gradually spread throughout the Mediterranean world and, with that of Isis and Horus, was especially vital during the time of the Roman Empire. Identified variously with the waters of the Nile, the grain of the earth, the moon, and the sun, Osiris was the great symbol of the creative forces of nature and the imperishability of life. He was commonly represented as swathed in mummy wrappings, wearing the crown of Upper Egypt (a dome-shaped hat with a papyrus tuft) and holding a whip and a crook. See J. G. Frazer, Adonis, Attis, Osiris (1907, new ed. 1961); E. A. W. Budge, Osiris (1911, new ed. 1961, repr. 1973); J. G. Griffiths, The Origins of Osiris (1966). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: Ancient Religion osiris - KingTutOne.com osiris God of the Underworld, Crop Fertility, Renewal, & Resurrection.

Common Names: Osiris, Asar, Asari, Aser, Ausar, Ausir, Wesir, Usir, Usire or Ausare Osiris is often depicted holding the crook and flail. He is one of Egypt’s oldest gods and is known for his reign over the dead, resurrection, and fertility. In many depictions found within tombs and monuments, Osiris is almost always seen outlined in black and can be identified through his green skin. Like many great kings, Osiris wears a white crown, known as an Atef crown, with two ostrich feathers fastened to the sides of it. His crown became the symbol of Upper Egypt. According to Egyptian mythology, Osiris was born the first child of Nut and Geb. His other siblings were Set, Nephthys, and Isis. Later, Osiris married his sister Isis and together through their union, they produced Horus. Osiris’ siblings play a major part in the popular mythological story whereby he is murdered and then resurrected, thus becoming the god of resurrection, renewal, and the god of the dead. God of Pertility and Renewal Osiris was the god of fertility but also many Egyptians looked to him for agricultural matters.

It is believed his green skin came to symbolize the fertile soil filled with nutrients that were needed to grow crops. These nutrients were brought about through the annual flooding of the Nile and it was through Osiris that this yearly event occurred. To the Ancient Egyptians, the cycle of flooding, planting, and harvesting were all brought about through Osiris’s life-giving forces. According to Egyptian folklore, it was Osiris who civilized all Egyptians and taught them the art of agriculture. Although not proven, the myths claimed, that before Osiris’ teachings the early Egyptians partook in cannibalism. It was through the kindness of Osiris and his wisdom that things changed as he showed them how to be civilized. It is said that Osiris brought new principles to the Egyptians such as rebirth of culture and life. The life-giving forces of Osiris were important to the Ancient Egyptians, so much so, that the process was often shown through corn-mummies brought to funerals. These simulated mummies were not actual mummies but bricks made of mud with the shape of Osiris embedded into them. These hollow bricks acted as pots and were filled with moistened soil and seeds left to germinate; thereby, showcasing the life-giving forces of Osiris.

The more advanced corn mummies were wrapped in linen and many had realistic wax figures of Osiris inside. God of the Dead Osiris’ association with fertility and helping to civilize Egypt is not the only thing attributed to him. His main iconic stance in Ancient Egypt was his reign over the dead. How he got this position remains a mystery; however, many Egyptologists conclude this position was appointed to him due to Osiris being one of the first gods to die by his brother Set and then later resurrected by his wife Isis. Probably one of the most popular representations of Osiris today comes from The Book of the Dead. There, he sits upon a throne and judges the dead before their entrance into the Afterworld. A scale is placed before the deceased person’s soul and it is weighed against the feather of Ma’at. If the heart is heavy with sin, it outweighs the feather of Ma’at then is thrown to the demon Goddess Ammit where it would then be destroyed. This resulted in a nonexistent fate to the dead person. If the outcome was in the favor of the deceased, the dead would be allowed to reside with Osiris in the Underworld.

The Cult of Osiris and Abydos Like many of the Ancient Egyptian gods, Osiris did have a cult that was centered on him. This cult was a major religious movement during the Middle Kingdom and was greatly promoted by Senusret III. The cult was such a movement that many Egyptians purposely sought a pilgrimage to Abydos where a temple was dedicated solely to him. There, many of the Egyptians who participated in this cult enjoyed the festivities such as rituals, celebrations, and ceremonies. A yearly major festival was held to reenact the mysteries of Osiris. This reenactment consisted of Osiris’ life and the journey to Abydos. After the first reenactment, another reenactment then followed glorifying the burial and resurrection at the tomb of Djer. It was not uncommon for cult followers to bury their loved ones or make arrangements to be buried at the site. If being buried in Abydos was not possible, family members would commemorate their loved one’s mummy on site then bury the body in a new location. This was practiced under the notion that because Osiris made the trip to Abydos, so should his followers.

Though many of the festivities to honor Osiris were held at his temple in Abydos, the site was also used to honor other gods as well. The temple of Abydos was first constructed by Sety I and later finished by Rameses II. The Osirian cult flourished due to the fact that ordinary people could participate in funerary rights that were once reserved for the royal families. This alone attracted many followers and private individuals that were able to construct stelae tablets (tombstones with inscriptions that marked the tomb boundaries) proclaiming their rights to Osiris. This allowed them to also receive blessings that were once considered only for pharaohs. This was not the only reason for its growth, many Egyptians saw the religion as attractive because it focused on their core values of life and justified their meaning. It also incorporated the fertility of the Nile and proclaimed rebirth for all individuals who participated in the cult. Osiris | Egyptian god | Britannica.com Egyptian god murder Osiris, also called Usir, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt .

The origin of Osiris is obscure; he was a local god of Busiris , in Lower Egypt , and may have been a personification of chthonic (underworld) fertility. By about 2400 bce, however, Osiris clearly played a double role: he was both a god of fertility and the embodiment of the dead and resurrected king. This dual role was in turn combined with the Egyptian concept of divine kingship: the king at death became Osiris, god of the underworld; and the dead king’s son, the living king, was identified with Horus , a god of the sky. Osiris and Horus were thus father and son. The goddess Isis was the mother of the king and was thus the mother of Horus and consort of Osiris. The god Seth was considered the murderer of Osiris and adversary of Horus. Isis (right) and Osiris. Judie Anderson/EB Inc.

Learn about the Osiris Shaft, a symbolic tomb of the god Osiris that is near the pyramid of Khafre, … Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz According to the form of the myth reported by the Greek author Plutarch , Osiris was slain or drowned by Seth, who tore the corpse into 14 pieces and flung them over Egypt. Eventually, Isis and her sister Nephthys found and buried all the pieces, except the phallus, thereby giving new life to Osiris, who thenceforth remained in the underworld as ruler and judge. His son Horus successfully fought against Seth, avenging Osiris and becoming the new king of Egypt. King Seti I offering a figure of the goddess Maat to Osiris, Isis, and Horus; relief in the temple … Courtesy of the Egypt Exploration Society; photograph, The Oriental Institute, Chicago Similar Topics Prometheus Osiris was not only ruler of the dead but also the power that granted all life from the underworld, from sprouting vegetation to the annual flood of the Nile River . From about 2000 bce onward it was believed that every man, not just the deceased kings, became associated with Osiris at death.

This identification with Osiris, however, did not imply resurrection , for even Osiris did not rise from the dead. Instead, it signified the renewal of life both in the next world and through one’s descendants on Earth. In this universalized form Osiris’s cult spread throughout Egypt, often joining with the cults of local fertility and underworld deities. The idea that rebirth in the next life could be gained by following Osiris was maintained through certain cult forms. In the Middle Kingdom (1938–c. 1630 bce) the god’s festivals consisted of processions and nocturnal rites and were celebrated at the temple of Abydos , where Osiris had assimilated the very ancient god of the dead, Khenty-Imentiu . This name, meaning “Foremost of the Westerners,” was adopted by Osiris as an epithet . Because the festivals took place in the open, public participation was permitted, and by the early 2nd millennium bce it had become fashionable to be buried along the processional road at Abydos or to erect a cenotaph there as a representative of the dead. Osiris festivals symbolically reenacting the god’s fate were celebrated annually in various towns throughout Egypt.

A central feature of the festivals during the late period was the construction of the “Osiris garden,” a mold in the shape of Osiris, filled with soil. The mold was moistened with the water of the Nile and sown with grain. Later, the sprouting grain symbolized the vital strength of Osiris. At Memphis the holy bull, Apis , was linked with Osiris, becoming Osiris-Apis, which eventually became the name of the Hellenistic god Serapis . Greco-Roman authors connected Osiris with the god Dionysus . Osiris was also identified with Soker, an ancient Memphite god of the dead.

Question: Osiris was the god of the underworld in the mythology of which ancient civilization?
Answer: Egypt